ASR technology enables microphone-equipped computing devices to interpret speech and thereby provide an alternative to conventional human-to-computer input devices such as keyboards or keypads. For example, vehicle telecommunications devices can be equipped with voice dialing features enabled by an ASR system. The ASR system typically includes a microphone to receive speech from an occupant of a vehicle.
The microphone is usually located in a forward portion of a passenger compartment of the vehicle such as in a rear view mirror assembly. Such a forward mounted microphone is satisfactory to enable reliable recognition of speech from a driver. But the forward mounted microphone may not be satisfactory to enable reliable recognition of speech from other passengers in front and rear seating positions.
Accordingly, some ASR systems deploy a plurality of individual microphones in a vehicle interior; with one microphone and associated pushbutton located at each seating position. But this approach unnecessarily adds cost and complexity to the ASR system.